When you’re talking with someone and they want to know what final conclusion you want them to draw from your conversation, they might ask you, “What’s the bottom line?”

The origin of the term, “the bottom line,” is business accounting. It refers to the literal bottom line of a financial statement - a company’s profit or loss. This literal bottom line is what we typically regard as the sole point of a business: the bigger the profit, the better the business.

But today there are also businesses we refer to as Triple Bottom Line. These companies have three equal categories of success: profit, people, and purpose.

Both of Peter's guests on Out to Lunch today have founded triple bottom line companies here in New Orleans.

Along with his partner, Charon Flowers Maple, Spencer Davis co-founded Bypass Lines in 2020. Bypass Lines works with local restaurants, caterers and retailers. It promotes them to customers who support non-profit causes. Each time Bypass Lines delivers food or products to these customers, they give a portion of the proceeds to the customer’s chosen charity.

As of right now, Bypass Lines report they’ve supported over 100 catering businesses, delivered over 1,000 online food orders, and over $1m has been processed through their platform.

Lauren Darnell founded her company, Porch & Okra Consulting, in 2023. Porch & Okra’s clients are mainly restaurant owners and other hospitality industry leaders looking to expand diversity, and improve conditions for employees in the hospitality and restaurant business - one of the most vital sectors of the New Orleans economy. 

How many of us care enough about other people to devote our professional lives to helping them? Not many. Spencer, Lauren and their companies, Bypass Lines and Porch & Okra Consulting, are exceptions to the rule. Making other people’s welfare the focus of a business - and putting people and purpose on an equal plane as profit - is ambitious. It’s hard work that requires multiple levels of planning and execution.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.